The woman fighting to save Gauteng’s dying river

Fuelled by a personal journey of overcoming adversity and a profound “commitment to water”, one woman’s organisation is tackling the dangerously polluted Hennops River head-on.

Since its inception in 2019, Hennops Revival, founded by Tarryn Johnston, has removed over 5 million kilograms of waste from one of the most polluted rivers in the country’s economic hub of Gauteng.

The Hennops River, once a lifeline of ecological vitality, now bears the grim title of “the river of disease and death.”

Its waters, once clear and life-sustaining, are now choked with industrial waste, untreated sewage, urban runoff, and scars from continuous illegal sand mining.

A recent study by Thabiso Letseka of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Science confirms what many already feared: the river is dangerously polluted, rendering it unsuitable for drinking, farming, or leisure activities.

Rising in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, the river winds through Tembisa, Olifantsfontein, Centurion, and other urban and semi-urban areas before merging with the Crocodile River near Hartbeespoort Dam.

It once provided habitat for a wide range of native species, from yellow-billed ducks and spotted-necked otters to endangered minnows. However, relentless pollution has severely damaged its biodiversity.

Today, only a few resilient or invasive species remain. The once-thriving river has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

However, there are several people, including Tarryn and Willem Snyman from the Fountain River Environmental Sanctuary Hennops (Fresh), who are trying to address the issue.

The birth of Hennops Revival

Johnston says that she is, at heart, an “Irene girl.” Her parents settled in the Centurion suburb in 1978, and she spent most of her life there.

Her childhood was filled with adventures: cycling with her best friend to the farm to “secretly climb up to the top of the bales of hay and play there for hours,” or exploring the Hennops River at the Irene Farm and Golf Course, to name a few.

This upbringing instilled in her “enormous pride, loving our little village,” and a deep-seated care for her community.

Following a tumultuous time in her life, Johnston told BusinessTech that she took a personal decision to work towards things that can make a positive impact.

It was at this time that her daughter requested that they do a river cleanup, which she agreed to do, viewing it as “something a mom could handle.”

After putting the idea out on social media, the initial cleanup gained significant attention and was a “huge success”.

Following this success, a commitment was made to conduct cleanups every two weeks, leading to the organisation’s rapid growth until it “swallowed” her up and she was “all in”.

The non-profit organisation (NPO) was formally established in November 2019, with the actual cleanup work beginning in September 2019. Realising the need for funding, the NPO was created.

She hired unemployed residents in the area, including Johannes, who had previously sold golf balls on the side of the road.

“I know the river like the back of my hand cause I have lived here my whole life,” Johannes told BusinessTech.

“At our peak, I was managing 12 guys at a time to help clean the river,” he added.

Since then, its impact has been astounding. There have been:

• 736 clean-up operations conducted
• 10,809 temporary jobs created through cleanup efforts
• 39,000 volunteer hours contributed
• 560,194 bags of waste collected
• 5,059,450 kg of waste removed
• 445,229 kg of invasive water hyacinth cleared
• 4,500 stormwater drains cleaned
• Interprovincial cleanups carried out in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Durban

Hennops Revival has expanded its reach through Deep Water Movements, a sister non-profit founded by Johnston.

Leveraging Hennops Revival’s established track record, expertise, and community engagement, Deep Water Movements extends the mission beyond the Hennops to empower individuals and communities nationwide, through education, water literacy initiatives, and high-level conventions addressing water, waste, and energy crises.

While Hennops Revival directly tackles river clean-ups and job creation, Deep Water Movements primarily aims to enable broader environmental action.

Trying to clean the river is an uphill battle

Despite this monumental effort, she calls the fight an “uphill battle” against surging pollution and zero municipal support, highlighting the immense personal cost and challenges in keeping the vital clean-up work alive.

Johnston said that, despite their efforts, pollution is worsening significantly due to increases in sewage, rubbish, industrial effluent, and widespread non-compliance.

Like other non-profits and experts in the sector, a major challenge highlighted is the lack of support from municipalities, with zero support received.

Despite having a memorandum of understanding with the City of Tshwane, it was not renewed.

She believes she lost support because she entered the situation innocently, unaware of any underlying politics or agendas, and then refused to be intimidated.

WaterCAN executive director Dr Ferrial Adam said that endemic municipal mismanagement and lack of accountability have exacerbated the crisis.

“There is not enough enforcement to arrest all polluters, people dumping… and hold them accountable,” Adam told BusinessTech.

“The cry that they do not have money makes me so angry because it is not about no money, it is more about mismanagement, poor/incorrect priorities. For nonsense, they can find the money in an instant.”

Financially, the situation among the NPOs is bleak. Doors have been shut, and Johnston has resorted to using her own money to keep the organisation out of arrears.

The clean-up team is not fully employed due to a lack of funds, operating on an “as and when” basis.

On 26 May 2025, the Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni metros announced that they had formed a joint task team to rehabilitate the polluted Kaalspruit Catchment.

They said that this collaborative effort will align plans, secure funding, and involve other entities to “tackle urbanisation-driven pollution and restore the health of the water system.”

Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said that since 2019, “a dedicated task team has worked consistently to reduce flooding risks, remove debris, and engage local stakeholders in improving the Hennops River and Centurion Lake.”

“To suggest that local government is apathetic or disengaged misrepresents ongoing initiatives and community partnerships already in place.”

The spokesperson added that collaboration with civil society is vital but must respect environmental laws.

The City said it acted within NEMA and Water Act frameworks, and compliance should not be seen as obstruction, adding that they are open to constructive engagement.

What’s next for the NPO?

Attempts by the government to replace their work have fallen short, as others only do surface cleanups, while Hennops Revival handles intensive tasks like clearing blockages and fallen trees.

“The work that I do is done with love and seriousness, a sacrifice I believe that my children will one day understand,” said Johnston.

Due to a lack of city support, they now focus on paid work, mainly with homeowners’ associations, and are developing sustainable products from collected waste.

“I am worried because we do not have the support we used to. We need support. We used to clean every day. Now there is not enough money for us to operate like we used to,” said Johannes.

“The river is getting worse and worse, and we need to stop it,” he added.

You can find more information on how to support the NGO’s activities, including through donations and volunteering, here.